Soap dispenser



Feb. '16, 1943. w DUDLEY 2,311,330

SOAP DISPENSER Filed Nov. 30, 1940 i a I s z I 1 I I s I I WILLIAM-A.01/4545);

Patented Feb. 16, 1943 SOAP DISPENSER William A. Dudley, Chicago, 111.,assignor to Pacific Coast Borax Company, a corporation of NevadaApplication November 30, 1940, Serial No. 368,019

3 Claims. (01. 221-62) This invention has to do in a general way withdispensing apparatus for dispensing powdered material, particularly thedispensing of powdered soap or other cleansing compounds such as areused in public lavatories, factory wash rooms and similar places. In theuse of dispensers for such purpose it is particularly desirable that thedispenser be so arranged and operated that an economical distribution ofthe soap is had, the arrangement, however, being such that by simpleoperation of the dispenser the amount of soap deemed necessary by theuser may be obtained. I am aware that a number of dispensers of thischaracter have been made, but point out that the dispensers in commonuse are not entirely satisfactory in the respect that the soap before itis actually delivered to the hand of the user is free to the atmosphereand under such conditions takes up moisture, resulting in the caking ofthe soap with a consequent ineifecient operation of the dispenser.

In other forms of dispensers such, for instance, as disclosed in myprevious Patent No. 1,993,401, the discharge of soap from the dispensertakes place on the downward stroke of the operating mechanism- This isundesirable for the reason that the hand of the operator is placed underthe dispenser and the dispenser being operated by a quick upwardmovement the tendency of the operator is to withdraw his hand before allof the soap has been delivered.

- With these and other objectionable features of common dispensers inview it is a principal object of this invention to produce a-dispenserof the class referred to of simple form and construction in whichthe'delivery of soap from the dispenser takes place upon the upwardmovement of the valvemechanisman'd in which the soap during th normal orinoperative position of the valve. mechanism is protected from theoutside atmosphere so that the operating parts do not become clogged norrequire inspection and cleaning.

Another object of my invention is to produce a dispenser of theclass'described in which a measured quantity of soap is delivered to adischarge chamber separated from the main con.- tainer and in whichprovision is made for pro-' ducing a jarring action to dislodge thematerial at and about the valve. Other objects and" ad-. vantages willappear hereinafter from the drawing and the following description.

Referringto the drawing which is for illustrative purposes only Fig. 1is a verticalsectional view of a dispenser embodying a form of myinvention; I I

Fig. 2 is a view of the lower part of thedevice shown in Fig. l, thevalve being shown its upper position and with the discharge opening ofthe valve chamber in open or discharging position;

(1:01", notches indicate'd at 36jwhichfnotches have Fig. 3 is asectional plan view on line 3-3 of Fig. l; Fig. 4 is a sectional planview on line 4-4 of Fig.1; and j I Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional planview similar to Fig. 3 showing a modified form of my invention..Referring more particularlyto the form of device shown in the drawing,l0 indicatesa container" cylindrical. in form having a dependingcircular flange I I at its lower end forming an opening I2. Inside thecontainer I0 is a conical or tapered bottom I 3 having a valve openingindicated at I4. Secured to the under side of the conical bottom l3 bymeans of welding or in any other suitable manner is a shell I5 forming avalve chamber indicated at l6, the lower end of the shell being taperedinwardly as indicated at I! forming a discharge opening 18.

Vertically movable in the valve chamber I6 is a valve 20 provided withan upwardly extending stem 2| which is reduced at its upper end asindicated at 22, such reduced portion is guided by and extends through acentral opening 23 formed in a cross piece 24 formed on a ring 25,secured in any suitable manner in the upper end of the container H1. Thevalve 20 issupported in thecontainer by means of a cotter pin indicatedat 26 extending therethrough and engageable with the upper face of thecross piece. 1 f,-

' The valve 20 is provided with a downwardly extending handle generallyindicated at 30 which has an offset portion indicated at 3,1. The flangell of the container I0 is provided with a guide .indicated at 32 whichguide receives the offset portion 3| of the handle 30 as indicated inFigs. 1'

and 4. This prevents turning movement of the handle and consequently thevalve 20 in the container.

For the purpose of jarring the. material not only in the containerproper but particularly in the valve'chamber' [6, a stop or abutment 33is provided which in thepresent form is shown as' secured to a shoulder34 on the" shell I5 extendin'g'downwardly therefrom 'in lineto be.engaged by meansof a plug 35 of resilient material mounte'd'v on'theofiset portion 33!, of the arm 30, although it is to be understood thatif desirable such plug or stop member. may be made of metal or othermaterial. or the plug maybe omitted entirely in which case the offsetportion of the han-.

dle would strike the. stop'33 or other fixed .part of the device. v

Arianged'in the valveZll is aseri'es of recesses all shoulder. 31..forming the upper ends of the no: hesjandfron'l whi'ch the notches slopedownwarm" and" outwardly so that any material in the notches is free toflow out of the same. These notches are arranged and located in thevalve as shown inFig. 1 so that when the valve is. in its lower positionthe contents of the notches discharge into the valve chamber [6.

The operation of the dispenser is as follows: The normal position of thedispenser is illustrated in Fig. 1 in which case the valve is in itslower position. Prior to assuming this position the valvehas been movedinto its upper position as shown in Fig. 2 by engagement of the lowerend of the handle by the palm of the operator and While I have shown aform of container which is cylindrical in shape, it is to be understoodwhen moved into this position shown in Fig. 2

it will be noted that the notches 36 are above the opening l4 in theconical bottom l3 of the container where they are free to receive acharge of the material in the container. It is to be noted that when thevalve is moved upwardly to its upper position as shown in Fig. 2, thatthe plug 35 engages the lower end of the abutment 33 thereby giving ajarring action to the lower end of the container and causing thematerial to flow into the notches in the valve at the same time thisjarring action dislodges the material in the chamber l6 and causes thematerial to be discharged therefrom as the valve at that time is in itsupper position and the discharge outlet l8 open. Upon release of thehandle :by the hand, the valve of. its own weight falls downwardly untilthe pin 26 engages the cross piece 24 and when at the lower end of itsmovement assumes the position shown in Fig. 1. In this position, due tothe jarring action of the pin 26 on the cross piece 24, the recesses ornotches 36 discharge their contents into the valve chamber [6 where thematerial is retained by reason of the fact that the valve substantiallyfills the discharge opening 18 of such chamber. Upon the next operationof the device and consequent movement of the valve upwardly the valve,as illustrated in Fig. 2, moves a sufiicient distance to allow thedischarge opening I8 of the chamber I6 to be free and permitting thecharge of material in the chamber to be discharged into the palm of thehand of the person operating the dispenser.

It is to be pointed out that the valve is of sufficient length and thenotches so arranged therein that the notches cannot be in a positionwith respect to the opening l4 as to permit anyof the contents of thecontainer to now through the notches and through the discharge outletof'the chamber 16.

In other words the notches in the valvev are always above the valveoutlet in the bottom of the container when the discharge outlet of the.

valve chamber is open. By this arrangement there is no way of dispensingthe soap from the container except by discharging the soap in thenotches in the valve into the valve chamber and by a subsequent movementof the valve opening the discharge outlet of the valve chamber. Thisprevents the withdrawaLby steady flow, of soap from the container andlimits such withdrawal of measured quantities dependent on the size andshape of the notches in the valve.

In the form of apparatus shown a cap indicated at 40 fits over the ringin the top of the container Ill, it being understood that any of anumber of common locking means for. securing the cover to the containermay be used. Any

suitable means may be used for supporting the dispenser as, forinstance, I have shown a simple form of bracket which consists of. aband 4| whichextends around the container beingwelded that the containermay be made either square or any other desirable shape.

In Fig. 5 I have shown a square container l0 and the valve 20' square'in cross section. By the use of such a shaped valve with correspondingopenings in the lower end of the container and valve chamber, it will beunderstood that it is not necessary to usethe guide illustrated at 32 assuch shape will prevent the turning of the valve in the container. Thisis likewise true of other shapes than round.

I claim as my invention:

1. A dispenser for powdered soap and the like embodying: a containerhaving a bottom with a valve opening therein; a shell extendingdownwardly from the bottom forming a valve chamher having a dischargeoutlet; a valve movable in said valve chamber; a stem on said valveextending upwardly therefrom; means for slidably supporting said stem;said valve having notches therein so placed that when the valve is inits upper position aid notches are above the valve opening in the bottomand when in its lower position within the valve chamber; abutment meanson said container; a handle on said valve extending below the container;means on said handle cooperating with said abutment to limit the upwardmovement of said valve; and means for limiting the downward movement ofsaid valve.

2. A dispenser for powdered soap and the like embodying: a containerhaving a bottom with a valve opening therein; a. shell extendingdownwardly from the bottom forming a valve cham- :ber, said shell havinga substantially vertically extending wall portion terminating at itslower end in an angularly disposed converging wall portion defining adischarge outlet; a. valve movable in said valve chamber and normallyclosing said valve opening and said discharge outlet; a

stem on said valve extending upwardly therefrom; means for slidablysupporting the stem; said valve having a recess therein so placed thatwhen the valve is in its upper position said recess '-is above the valveOpening. in. the bottom and when in its lower position within the valvechamber; abutment means on said container; a handle on said valveextending below the container; means on said handle cooperatin with saidabutment to limit the upward movement of said valve; and means forlimiting the downward movement of said valve.

3. A dispenser for powdered soap and the like 1 embodying a containerhaving a bottom with an opening therein; a valve member controlling saidopening movable to permit delivery of material from said containerthrough said opening; a stem on said valve extending upwardly thereafrom; means for slidably supporting said stem;

abutment means on said container in the region of the bottom of thecontainer but out of the path of dispensed material; a handle .on saidvalve extending below the container; means on said handle-cooperatingwith said abutment to limit the upward movement of said valve; and

means for limiting the downward movement of said valve. V 1

' WILLIAM A. DUDLEY.

